WHICH Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Greece, Nik? There are several, some badly splintered, and none of them appear to be in communion with each other. The most moderate, IMHO, is the True (Old Calendar) Orthodox Church of Greece, Synod of Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Fili (Attica), Greece, with which the ROCOR is in communion officially.

jude

One can live one's life as a disciple of the Holy Fathers of Mount Athos and be a practitioner of the spirituality of the Old Calendarists within the Church of Greece or GOA.

In fact, living such a lifestyle is a form of martyrdom.

One should stay and help educate those who live in darkness--especially those who have lived the lie of modernism and compromise--about the evils and dangers of protestantism, crypto-protestantism (Roman Catholicism), and other heterodox teachings, but with the spirit of charity, a Christian virtue the schismatic OCs often seem to lack.

Former modernist and ecumenist, cynic, and the nephew of an Old Calendar Greek Orthodox priest (Eternal Memory!).

Jude

I should have added that it is not always possible to remain in communion with churches such as the Church of Greece or GOA, for example. Many of the clergy and laity of the original Old Calendarist movement were forced to leave the state Church by the hierachy, with the assistance of the police,etc.

Of course, if an Orthodox Christian finds himself in a situation where he would be promoting heresy or apostasy by continuing his association with a particular jurisdiction, then he would have on choice--as the canons decree--but to separate himself from apostasy, even if it meant being without a canonical priest or hierarch for a period of time. We know this was a common practice of the faithful during the ascendency of Arianism and by Greeks during the imposition of apostate Greek and/or Latin hierarchs upon the Romans during the Latin captivity or at time of the false unions, particularly that of Florence, and also during the imposition of the Papal Unia in Little Russia.

Those of us who are Orthodox fundamentalists--whether neophytes or seasoned--should always be prepared to "pack our bags" and accommodate ourselves to the lifestyle of fervent Orthodox vagabonds. Many of the early OC priests of Greece lived a vagabond lifestyle--along with their families--as they were literally hounded from village to village by the police.

But through all of this struggle, they experienced ekstasis kai energia....

"You have ascended to the heights, you have dispelled all manner of darkness and gloom and tempest--I mean the thrice gloomy darkness of ignorance."--To the Sheperd........

while their modernist and compromising neo-papist counterparts in the state church finished their priestly service pathetically, despondent over and ashamed of their spiritual mediocrity, venality, mendacity, compromise, and lack of fervor and zeal for the Pearl of Great Price. ( Smacks of today's EP and those who associate themselves with papist errors, i.e., modernists and ecumenists.)

Hypo-Ortho

jude the obscure<<One can live one's life as a disciple of the Holy Fathers of Mount Athos and be a practitioner of the spirituality of the Old Calendarists within the Church of Greece or GOA.

In fact, living such a lifestyle is a form of martyrdom.>>

It doesn't have to be a sorrowful martyrdom though, Jude. It can be a martyrdom of joy, a cheerful witness, if you will. If one is Orthodox first and foremost, if that is what is most important to you (and not being Russian, Greek, Serbian, etc., first and foremost, and then Orthodox tacked on as an after-thought), one can be a practitioner of traditional Orthodoxy in any canonical jurisdiction and in any situation.

Hypo-Ortho

True, but its easier to do so and learn it when those around you, including your priest and bishop are doing the same. It builds community when everyone is doing things the same way.

*This should not be taken as disparaging any jurisdiction.

True, Nik, but no real "podvig" involved when it's easier.

I am now in an OCA parish that had the same priest for 44 years, and he was NO traditonalist (and he did not believe in outreach either)! We now have a newly-ordained priest, who has been with us only one month, who is in every way an Orthodox traditionalist, in manner, in speech, in dress. If I had left when the now-retired priest was still here, I would not now be here to support our new priest in his uphill battle to educate and restore true Orthodox traditionalism (and institute some outreach) in our parish.

jude

One can live one's life as a disciple of the Holy Fathers of Mount Athos and be a practitioner of the spirituality of the Old Calendarists within the Church of Greece or GOA.

In fact, living such a lifestyle is a form of martyrdom.

One should stay and help educate those who live in darkness--especially those who have lived the lie of modernism and compromise--about the evils and dangers of protestantism, crypto-protestantism (Roman Catholicism), and other heterodox teachings, but with the spirit of charity, a Christian virtue the schismatic OCs often seem to lack.

Former modernist and ecumenist, cynic, and the nephew of an Old Calendar Greek Orthodox priest (Eternal Memory!).

Jude

I should have added that it is not always possible to remain in communion with churches such as the Church of Greece or GOA, for example. Many of the clergy and laity of the original Old Calendarist movement were forced to leave the state Church by the hierachy, with the assistance of the police,etc.

Of course, if an Orthodox Christian finds himself in a situation where he would be promoting heresy or apostasy by continuing his association with a particular jurisdiction, then he would have on choice--as the canons decree--but to separate himself from apostasy, even if it meant being without a canonical priest or hierarch for a period of time. We know this was a common practice of the faithful during the ascendency of Arianism and by Greeks during the imposition of apostate Greek and/or Latin hierarchs upon the Romans during the Latin captivity or at time of the false unions, particularly that of Florence, and also during the imposition of the Papal Unia in Little Russia.

Those of us who are Orthodox fundamentalists--whether neophytes or seasoned--should always be prepared to "pack our bags" and accommodate ourselves to the lifestyle of fervent Orthodox vagabonds. Many of the early OC priests of Greece lived a vagabond lifestyle--along with their families--as they were literally hounded from village to village by the police.

But through all of this struggle, they experienced ekstasis kai energia....

"You have ascended to the heights, you have dispelled all manner of darkness and gloom and tempest--I mean the thrice gloomy darkness of ignorance."--To the Sheperd........

while their modernist and compromising neo-papist counterparts in the state church finished their priestly service pathetically, despondent over and ashamed of their spiritual mediocrity, venality, mendacity, compromise, and lack of fervor and zeal for the Pearl of Great Price. ( Smacks of today's EP and those who associate themselves with papist errors, i.e., modernists and ecumenists.)